To the Parents of Senior Roadrunners:

Your student is so close to finishing up and walking across the stage for graduation!! As as excited as you and your student must be, there’s still work to be done. Here are a few items for the ‘To Do’ list…

Second-to-Last Semester:

  • Make sure your student has taken these steps by their Senior year, including resume development, creating a Handshake account, attendance at career-related events, practice interviews, and job search/networking strategies. It’s not too late, but now is the time!!
  • Encourage an appointment with a Career Counselor at this point, and utilize all available resources to fully execute your application strategy.
  • Make sure your student is familiar with fall events, which are listed on Handshake under “Events.” This includes career fair and information sessions which allow great opportunities to talk to employers and find out what their hiring needs are at that time.
  • Encourage your student to look at who plans to conduct interviews on-campus. Utilize Handshake‘s interviewing process to see who is scheduled to be at the University Career Center office for interviews.
  • Encourage your student to let people in their network know that he or she will be graduating soon and ask those contacts to communicate if they have any recommendations or connections your student can contact.
  • Assist them in developing a written log or spreadsheet of all of your employer contacts including items such as employer name, address, telephone number and contact person/job title as well as the date of each contact by letter, telephone call or interview.

Last Semester:

  • Your student’s last semester on campus will be a busy one with senior projects/courses, graduation – and on top of that, the job search (!!) – but this is the time to shine when meeting with employers! Congratulate them and encourage them to “show off” (in other words – market) their skills and all the hard work that they have accomplished!
  • Make sure your student’s resume is updated to reflect current contact information, experience, and GPA.
  • Encourage them to continue to interview on-campus and network with people in their field of interest. Utilize Handshake to see who is scheduled to be at the University Career Center office for interviews.
  • Make sure your student is familiar with spring events, which are listed on Handshake under “Events.” This includes the career fair(s) and information sessions which allow great opportunities to talk to employers and find out what their hiring needs are at that time.
  • Ensure your student begins applying for positions that they hear about or see posted. The hiring process can take 3-6 weeks so they shouldn’t wait until the week before graduation. Do encourage your student to be patient because a typical job search can take several months.
  • Encourage thorough research on potential employers, especially those with who you interview or network, so conversations are smooth and well-informed on the part of your student.
By Karen Ivy
Karen Ivy Assistant Director-Student Services